Methods and Systems for Dynamic Creation of Hotspots for Media Control

ABSTRACT

Methods, systems, and/or devices for controlling media presentation at a shared media presentation system are described herein. In one aspect, a first electronic device detects user input requesting to indicate availability of a media presentation system for use by one or more other electronic devices. In response to detecting the user input, the first electronic device transmits an indication of availability of the media presentation system for use by the one or more other electronic devices. The first electronic device also receives, from a second electronic device of the one or more other electronic devices, a request for access to the media presentation system. In response to receiving the request, the first electronic device transmits, to the second electronic device, an authentication token that allows the second electronic device to access the media presentation system through submission of media control requests that include the authentication token.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/668,732 filed Mar. 25, 2015, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/099,045, filed Dec. 31, 2014, each ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosed implementations relate generally to media content deliveryand, in particular, to controlling media presentation at a shared mediapresentation system.

BACKGROUND

At social gatherings, users often wish to share media content withfriends, relatives, and new acquaintances. For example, a party host mayaccess media content on a mobile device and present that media contentthrough a media presentation system (e.g., play music on a speaker orstream video on a screen). Other users (e.g., guests) may wish tocontrol the media presentation system, and the host may be willing toprovide this access (e.g., to allow the other users to share in theselection of media content). Allowing other users access to the mediapresentation system on a one-by-one basis (e.g., connecting the otherusers' devices to the media presentation system one at a time) is slowand impedes the goal of sharing access to the media presentation system.Moreover, due to access or license restrictions, the party host's mobiledevice might be the only device authorized to control the mediapresentation system. Passing around the host's mobile device is alsoimpractical and may be undesirable for privacy and security reasons.Thus, users are faced with the challenge of how to effectively,efficiently, and securely share access to media presentation systems.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods for sharing accessto a media control system and controlling media presentation at a sharedmedia presentation system. By authorizing a first electronic device tocontrol a media presentation system and then allowing the firstelectronic device to indicate availability of the media presentationsystem for use by one or more other electronic devices, users are ableto more efficiently, effectively, and securely share access to a mediapresentation system. Such systems and methods optionally complement orreplace conventional methods for controlling media presentation systems.

One specific area where the disclosed systems and methods areimplemented is creating hotspots for media control during socialgatherings (e.g., parties, music festivals, etc.). For example, a hostof a social gathering will use a device associated with the host tocreate a hotspot that allows guests to use the host's media presentationsystem(s) (e.g., one or more network-connected speakers). Such a requestcan be made in many ways, such as via a mobile phone (e.g., smartphone), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, another mobile device, adesktop computer, or other electronic device. For example, the host canuse a smart phone to request to share access to a speaker located withinthe dining room via an application on the smart phone that communicateswith a media content server. Once the media content server receives therequest, the media content server generates an authentication token forthe media presentation system and sends the authentication token to thehost's smart phone. After connecting to the hotspot, including receivingan authentication token from the host's smart phone or receiving theauthentication token from the media content server, the host's guestsare able to use the media presentation system. The guests are able touse their own electronic (e.g., mobile) devices to send media controlrequests (e.g., requests to stream music content) to the mediapresentation system (e.g., the media control requests are sent to themedia content server and the media content server then sends a commandcorresponding to the media control request to the media presentationsystem). In this way, the host and his or her guests are able tocollaborate on the presentation of content during the social gathering.

The above example represents one possible way of controlling mediapresentation at a shared media presentation system. Otherimplementations are also contemplated, however (as discussed in moredetail below within the detailed description).

EXAMPLE IMPLEMENTATIONS

In accordance with some implementations, a method is performed at aserver system (e.g., a media content server) having one or moreprocessors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by theone or more processors. The method includes authorizing a firstelectronic device associated with a first user to control a mediapresentation system (e.g., a single speaker or a plurality of speakersthat are associated with the first user); receiving, from the firstelectronic device, a request to indicate availability of the mediapresentation system for use by one or more other electronic devices; andsending, to the first electronic device, an authentication token for themedia presentation system. The method further includes receiving, from asecond electronic device, a media control request including theauthentication token, wherein the second electronic device is one of theone or more other electronic devices. In accordance with a determinationthat the authentication token permits access to the media presentationsystem, the method further includes sending a command corresponding tothe media control request to the media presentation system.

In accordance with some implementations, a server system for controllingmedia presentation includes one or more processors and memory storingone or more programs configured for execution by the one or moreprocessors. The one or more programs include instructions for performingthe operations of the server-side method described above. In accordancewith some implementations, a non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium is provided. The computer-readable storage medium stores one ormore programs configured for execution by one or more processors of theserver system; the one or more programs include instructions forperforming the operations of the server-side method described above. Inaccordance with some implementations, a server system for controllingmedia presentation includes means for performing the operations of theserver-side method described above.

Thus, users are provided with faster, more efficient methods forcontrolling media presentation at a shared media presentation system,thereby increasing the effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfactionassociated with media content delivery systems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The implementations disclosed herein are illustrated by way of example,and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanyingdrawings. Like reference numerals refer to corresponding partsthroughout the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary media contentdelivery system in accordance with some implementations.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary client device inaccordance with some implementations.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary media content serverin accordance with some implementations.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary authentication datastructure and an exemplary media account data structure used by themedia content delivery system in accordance with some implementations.

FIGS. 5A-5C are flow diagrams illustrating a method of controlling mediapresentation in accordance with some implementations.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 7 show graphical user interfaces used to share accessto a media presentation system in accordance with some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made to implementations, examples of which areillustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description,numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide anunderstanding of the various described implementations. However, it willbe apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the variousdescribed implementations may be practiced without these specificdetails. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components,circuits, and networks have not been described in detail so as not tounnecessarily obscure aspects of the implementations.

It will also be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc.are, in some instances, used herein to describe various elements, theseelements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used onlyto distinguish one element from another. For example, a first devicecould be termed a second device, and, similarly, a second device couldbe termed a first device, without departing from the scope of thevarious described implementations. The first device and the seconddevice are both devices, but they are not the same device.

The terminology used in the description of the various implementationsdescribed herein is for the purpose of describing particularimplementations only and is not intended to be limiting. As used in thedescription of the various described implementations and the appendedclaims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to includethe plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will also be understood that the term “and/or” as usedherein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations ofone or more of the associated listed items. It will be furtherunderstood that the terms “includes,” “including,” “comprises,” and/or“comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence ofstated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/orcomponents, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or moreother features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components,and/or groups thereof.

As used herein, the term “if” is, optionally, construed to mean “when”or “upon” or “in response to determining” or “in response to detecting”or “in accordance with a determination that,” depending on the context.Similarly, the phrase “if it is determined” or “if [a stated conditionor event] is detected” is, optionally, construed to mean “upondetermining” or “in response to determining” or “upon detecting [thestated condition or event]” or “in response to detecting [the statedcondition or event]” or “in accordance with a determination that [astated condition or event] is detected,” depending on the context.

As used herein, the term “exemplary” is used in the sense of “serving asan example, instance, or illustration” and not in the sense of“representing the best of its kind.”

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary media contentdelivery system 100 in accordance with some implementations. The mediacontent delivery system 100 includes one or more client devices 102(e.g., client device 102-1 and client device 102-2), one or more mediacontent servers (e.g., media content server 104), and one or more mediapresentation systems (e.g., media presentation systems 108, includingspeaker 108-1, television (TV) 108-2, digital versatile disk (DVD)108-3, and/or other media presentation system 108-n). One or morenetworks (e.g., network(s) 112) communicably connect each component ofthe media content delivery system 100 with other components of the mediacontent delivery system 100. In some implementations, the one or morenetworks 112 include public communication networks, privatecommunication networks, or a combination of both public and privatecommunication networks. For example, the one or more networks 112 can beany network (or combination of networks) such as the Internet, otherwide area networks (WAN), local area networks (LAN), virtual privatenetworks (VPN), metropolitan area networks (MAN), peer-to-peer networks,and/or ad-hoc connections.

In some implementations, a client device (e.g. client device 102-1and/or client device 102-2) is a representative electronic deviceassociated with one or more users. In some implementations, a clientdevice is any of: a personal computer, a mobile electronic device, awearable computing device, a laptop, a tablet computer, a mobile phone,a feature phone, a smart phone, a digital media player, or any otherelectronic device capable of sending media control requests. In someimplementations, client device 102-1 and client device 102-2 are thesame type of device (e.g., client device 102-1 and client device 102-2are both mobile devices). Alternatively, client device 102-1 and clientdevice 102-2 are different types of devices.

In some implementations, client devices 102-1 and 102-2 send and receiveinformation through the networks 112. For example, client devices 102-1and 102-2, in some implementations, send media control requests (e.g.,requests to play music, movies, playlists, or other media content items)to media content server 104 through network(s) 112. Additionally, clientdevices 102-1 and 102-2, in some implementations, also receiveauthentication tokens from the media content server 104 throughnetwork(s) 112. For example, client device 102-1 initially sends mediacontrol requests for a particular media presentation system 108, andclient device 102-2 subsequently may also send media control requestsfor the media presentation system 108 after receiving an authenticationtoken corresponding to the media presentation system 108.

In some implementations, client device 102-1 and client device 102-2 mayalso communicate with each other through network(s) 112. For example,client device 102-1 may notify client device 102-2 that access to amedia presentation system 108 is available and/or send an authenticationtoken to client device 102-2 using any suitable networking protocol, asdescribed in more detail below.

In some implementations, client device 102-1 communicates directly withmedia presentation systems 108. As pictured in FIG. 1, client device102-1 is able to communicate directly (e.g., through a wired connectionor through a short-range wireless signal, such as those associated withBLUETOOTH/BTLE communication technologies, radio-frequency-based nearfield communication technologies, infrared communication technologies,etc.) with media presentation systems 108, while client device 102-2only communicates with the media presentation systems 108 throughnetwork(s) 112. In some implementations, client device 102-1 uses thedirect connection with media presentation systems 108 in order tocomplete initial setup and configuration operations on the mediapresentation systems 108. For example, media presentation systems 108include TV 108-2 and, in some implementations, the client device 102-1uses the direct connection to configure TV 108-2 to connect to a localwireless (e.g., WiFi) network (e.g., provide TV 108-2 with a networkidentifier and username and password details for the network).

In some implementations, client device 102-1 and client device 102-2each include a media application 222 (as shown in FIG. 2 and describedin more detail below) that allows a user of the client device to browsemedia content and request media content for presentation at a mediapresentation system (e.g., speaker 108-1, TV 108-2, DVD 108-3, . . .Media Presentation System 108-n) associated with the client device. Themedia presentation system, in some implementations, may be part of theclient device 102, such as built-in speakers or a screen, or may beseparate from the client device 102, such as a wirelessly coupledspeaker (e.g., speaker 108-1).

In some implementations, the client device 102-1 further includes amedia presentation sharing module 230 of media application 222 (as shownin FIG. 2 and described in more detail below). The media presentationsharing module 230 allows a user of client device 102-1, in someimplementations, to indicate availability of the media presentationsystem for use by one or more other electronic devices (e.g., clientdevice 102-2) and/or to provide access by the one or more otherelectronic devices to the media presentation system. In someimplementations, the media presentation sharing module 230 allows theuser of client device 102-1 to indicate availability of all or a portionof media presentation systems associated with the user (e.g., the userof client device 102-1 selects a single user interface element (such asshare-all affordance 604 of FIG. 6A) to indicate availability of speaker108-1, TV 108-2, DVD 108-3, and/or media presentation system 108-n foruse by one or more other electronic devices).

In some implementations, the media content server 104 stores mediacontent and provides the media content (e.g., media content requested bythe media application 222 of client device 102-1 and/or 102-2), via thenetwork(s) 112, to the media presentation systems 108. Content storedand served by the media content server 104, in some implementations,includes any appropriate content, including text (e.g., articles, blogposts, emails, etc.), images (e.g., photographs, drawings, renderings,etc.), videos (e.g., short-form videos, music videos, television shows,movies, clips, previews, etc.), audio (e.g., music, spoken word,podcasts, etc.), games (e.g., 2- or 3-dimensional graphics-basedcomputer games, etc.), or any combination of content types (e.g., webpages that include any combination of the foregoing types of content orother content not explicitly listed). The description of the mediacontent server 104 as a “server” is intended as a functional descriptionof the devices, systems, processor cores, and/or other components thatprovide the functionality attributed to the media content server 104. Itwill be understood that the media content server 104 may be a singleserver computer, or may be multiple server computers. Moreover, themedia content server 104 may be coupled to other servers and/or serversystems, or other devices, such as other client devices, databases,content delivery networks (e.g., peer-to-peer networks), network caches,and the like. In some implementations, the media content server 104 isimplemented by multiple computing devices working together to performthe actions of a server system (e.g., cloud computing).

As described above, media presentation systems 108 (e.g., speaker 108-1,TV 108-2, DVD 108-3, . . . Media Presentation System 108-n) are capableof receiving media content (e.g., from the media content server 104) andpresenting the received media content. For example, in someimplementations, speaker 108-1 is a component of a network-connectedaudio/video system (e.g., a home entertainment system, a radio/alarmclock with a digital display, or an infotainment system of a vehicle).In some implementations, media presentation systems thus are devices towhich the media content server 104 can send media content. For example,media presentation systems include computers, dedicated media players,network-connected stereo and/or speaker systems, network-connectedvehicle media systems, network-connected televisions, network-connectedDVD players, and universal serial bus (USB) devices used to provide aplayback device with network connectivity, and the like.

In some implementations, each media presentation system 108 isassociated with an identifier (e.g., a unique hardware or applicationidentifier, a network address, etc.) that the media content server 104uses to uniquely identify and/or establish communications with the mediapresentation system. As described herein, in some implementations,client device 102-2 sends, through network(s) 112, a media controlrequest (e.g., a request to play a new song) including an authenticationtoken to media content server 104. After verifying that theauthentication token is valid (described in more detail below withreference to FIGS. 4 and 5), the media content server 104, in someimplementations, retrieves an identifier of a particular mediapresentation system 108 (e.g., TV 108-2) that is associated with theauthentication token (e.g., an MPS ID from the MPS IDs field of mediaaccount data structure 404, FIG. 4, where MPS stands for mediapresentation system). Accordingly, in some implementations, the mediacontent server 104 can first verify that client device 102-2 isauthorized to send media control requests to a media presentation system108 (e.g., TV 108-2) and can then send a command corresponding to themedia control request to the media presentation system 108 (e.g., TV108-2), even though the client device 102-2 is not otherwise associatedwith the media presentation system 108 (e.g., TV 108-2). A user ofclient device 102-2 thus can control media presentation at a sharedmedia presentation system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary client device 102(e.g., client device 102-1 and/or client device 102-2 of FIG. 1) inaccordance with some implementations. The client device 102 typicallyincludes one or more central processing units (CPU(s), i.e., processorsor cores) 202, one or more network (or other communications) interfaces210, memory 212, and one or more communication buses 214 forinterconnecting these components. The communication buses 214 optionallyinclude circuitry (sometimes called a chipset) that interconnects andcontrols communications between system components.

As also shown in FIG. 2, the client device 102 includes a user interface204, including output device(s) 206 and input device(s) 208. In someimplementations, the input devices include a keyboard, mouse, or trackpad. Alternatively, or in addition, in some implementations, the userinterface 204 includes a display device that includes a touch-sensitivesurface, in which case the display device is a touch-sensitive display.In client devices that have a touch-sensitive display, a physicalkeyboard is optional (e.g., a soft keyboard may be displayed whenkeyboard entry is needed). The output devices (e.g., output device(s)206) also optionally include speakers or an audio output connectionconnected to speakers, earphones, or headphones. Furthermore, someclient devices 102 use a microphone and voice recognition device tosupplement or replace the keyboard. Optionally, the client device 102includes an audio input device (e.g., a microphone) to capture audio(e.g., speech from a user). Optionally, the client device 102 includes alocation-detection device, such as a GPS (global positioning satellite)or other geo-location receiver, and/or location-detection software fordetermining the location of the client device 102.

Memory 212 includes high-speed random-access memory, such as DRAM, SRAM,DDR RAM, or other random-access solid-state memory devices; and mayinclude non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storagedevices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or othernon-volatile solid-state storage devices. Memory 212 may optionallyinclude one or more storage devices remotely located from the CPU(s)202. Memory 212, or alternately, the non-volatile memory solid-statestorage devices within memory 212, includes a non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium. In some implementations, memory 212 orthe non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of memory 212 storesthe following programs, modules, and data structures, or a subset orsuperset thereof:

-   -   an operating system 216 that includes procedures for handling        various basic system services and for performing hardware        dependent tasks;    -   network communication module(s) 218 for connecting the client        device 102 to other computing devices (e.g., media presentation        systems 108, media content server 104, and/or other client        devices) via the one or more network interface(s) 210 (wired or        wireless) connected to one or more network(s) 112 such as the        Internet, other WANs, LANs, PANs, MANs, VPNs, peer-to-peer        networks, content delivery networks, ad-hoc connections, and so        on;    -   a user interface module 220 that receives commands and/or inputs        from a user via the user interface 204 (e.g., from the input        devices 208, which may include keyboards, touch screens,        microphones, pointing devices, eye tracking components,        three-dimensional gesture tracking components, and the like),        and provides user interface objects and other outputs for        display on the user interface 204 (e.g., the output devices 206,        which may include a computer display, a television screen, a        touchscreen, a speaker, etc.);    -   a media application 222 (e.g., an application associated with a        media content provider, including a media player, a streaming        media application, or any other appropriate application or        component of an application) for browsing, receiving,        processing, and presenting media content (e.g., media content        streams, media content files, advertisements, web pages, videos,        audio, games, etc.). The media application 222 also includes the        following modules (or sets of instructions), or a subset or        superset thereof:        -   an authentication module 224 for sending authentication            tokens (e.g., authentication token(s) 228) corresponding to            one or more media presentation systems associated with the            client device 102 (e.g., one or more of the media            presentation systems 108 from FIG. 1), receiving            authentication tokens from other client devices, and            optionally generating authentication tokens for media            presentation systems associated with client device 102;        -   a media presentation system module 226 for identifying media            presentations systems associated with (i.e., available for            control by) the client device 102, including:            -   authentication token(s) 228 for sending to media content                server 104 in order to confirm that the client device                102 is authorized to use the corresponding one or more                media presentation systems (or, alternatively,                authentication token(s) 228 may be sent to other client                devices in order to directly share access to a media                presentation system);        -   a media presentation system sharing module 230 for sending a            request to indicate availability of a media presentation            system for use and for controlling access to the media            presentation system (e.g., creating a hotspot for media            control, configuring access-control settings for the            hotspot, approving requests to connect to the hotspot,            etc.); and        -   a media content browsing module 232 for providing controls            and/or user interfaces enabling a user to navigate, select            for playback, and otherwise control or interact with media            content, whether the media content is stored locally or            remotely;    -   a web browser application 234 (e.g., Internet Explorer by        Microsoft, Firefox by Mozilla, Safari by Apple, or Chrome by        Google) for accessing, viewing, and interacting with web sites;        and    -   other applications 244, such as applications for word        processing, calendaring, mapping, weather, stocks, time keeping,        virtual digital assistant, presenting, number crunching        (spreadsheets), drawing, instant messaging, e-mail, telephony,        video conferencing, photo management, video management, a        digital music player, a digital video player, 2D gaming, 3D        (e.g., virtual reality) gaming, electronic book reader, and/or        workout support.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary media content server104 in accordance with some implementations. The media content server104 typically includes one or more central processing units/cores (CPUs)302, one or more network interfaces 304, memory 306, and one or morecommunication buses 308 for interconnecting these components.

Memory 306 includes high-speed random access memory, such as DRAM, SRAM,DDR RAM, or other random access solid-state memory devices; and mayinclude non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storagedevices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or othernon-volatile solid-state storage devices. Memory 306, optionally,includes one or more storage devices remotely located from one or moreCPUs 302. Memory 306, or, alternatively, the non-volatile solid-statememory device(s) within memory 306, includes a non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium. In some implementations, memory 306,or the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of memory 306,stores the following programs, modules and data structures, or a subsetor superset thereof:

-   -   an operating system 310 that includes procedures for handling        various basic system services and for performing hardware        dependent tasks;    -   a network communication module 312 that is used for connecting        the media content server 104 to other computing devices via one        or more network interfaces 304 (wired or wireless) connected to        one or more networks 112 such as the Internet, other WANs, LANs,        PANs, MANs, VPNs, peer-to-peer networks, content delivery        networks, ad-hoc connections, and so on;    -   one or more server application modules 314 for enabling the        media content server 104 to perform various functions, the        server application modules 314 including, but not limited to,        one or more of:        -   an authentication module 316 for managing authentication            and/or authorization requests, the authentication module 316            including, but not limited to, one or more of:            -   a token generating module 318 for generating                authentication tokens permitting use of media                presentation systems (e.g., speaker 108-1 of FIG. 1);                and            -   a token validating module 320 for verifying that an                authentication token is valid (e.g., has not yet expired                or has not yet been revoked);        -   a media request processing module 322 for processing            requests for media content and facilitating access to            requested media content items by client devices (e.g., the            client device 102) including, optionally, streaming media            content to such devices or to one or more media presentation            systems 108 (e.g., speaker 108-1, FIG. 1); and    -   one or more server data module(s) 324 for handling the storage        of and access to media content items and metadata relating to        the media content items; in some implementations, the one or        more server data module(s) 324 include:        -   a media content database 326 for storing media content items            (e.g., audio files, video files, text files, etc.);        -   a metadata database 328 for storing metadata relating to the            media content items; and        -   a media account database 330 for storing account information            for user media accounts, including user profiles,            credentials (e.g., user identifiers, passwords, email            addresses, etc.), credentials or identifiers of any linked            accounts, and the like.

In some implementations, the media content server 104 includes web orHypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) servers, File Transfer Protocol (FTP)servers, as well as web pages and applications implemented using CommonGateway Interface (CGI) script, PHP Hyper-text Preprocessor (PHP),Active Server Pages (ASP), Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML), ExtensibleMarkup Language (XML), Java, JavaScript, Asynchronous JavaScript and XML(AJAX), XHP, Javelin, Wireless Universal Resource File (WURFL), and thelike.

Each of the above identified modules stored in memory 212 and 306corresponds to a set of instructions for performing a function describedherein. The above identified modules or programs (i.e., sets ofinstructions) need not be implemented as separate software programs,procedures, or modules, and thus various subsets of these modules may becombined or otherwise re-arranged in various implementations. In someimplementations, memory 212 and 306 optionally store a subset orsuperset of the respective modules and data structures identified above.Furthermore, memory 212 and 306 optionally store additional modules anddata structures not described above.

Although FIG. 3 illustrates the media content server 104 in accordancewith some implementations, FIG. 3 is intended more as a functionaldescription of the various features that may be present in one or moremedia content servers than as a structural schematic of theimplementations described herein. In practice, and as recognized bythose of ordinary skill in the art, items shown separately could becombined and some items could be separated. For example, some itemsshown separately in FIG. 3 could be implemented on single servers andsingle items could be implemented by one or more servers. The actualnumber of servers used to implement the media content server 104, andhow features are allocated among them, will vary from one implementationto another and, optionally, depends in part on the amount of datatraffic that the server system must handle during peak usage periods aswell as during average usage periods.

In some implementations, the media content server 104 uses tables,databases, or other appropriate data structures (e.g., authenticationmodule 402 and/or media content database 404) to associate respectiveusers with respective media presentation systems and to manageauthentication tokens (i.e., access tokens) associated with respectivemedia presentation systems.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an authentication data structure402 in the authentication module 316 and an exemplary media account datastructure 404 in the media account database 330, in accordance with someimplementations. The authentication data structure 402, in someimplementations, contains fields (e.g., each field within header 402-1)for “token ID” (e.g., an identifier to uniquely identify each record402-2, 402-3, etc. contained within the authentication data structure402), “MPS ID” (e.g., an identifier corresponding to a respective mediapresentation system or to a plurality of media presentation systems),“access token” (e.g., an authentication token used to provide clientdevices with access to media presentation systems that correspond to theauthentication token), and “is valid?” (e.g., an indication as towhether a respective access token is still valid). The media accountdata structure 404, in some implementations, contains fields (e.g., eachfield within header 404-1) for media acct ID (e.g., a unique identifierfor each record 404-2, 404-3, etc. in the media account data structure404), media user ID (e.g., an identifier associated with a user, whichcould be a user-created username or some other appropriate identifier),and MPS IDs (e.g., a set of identifiers corresponding to mediapresentation systems that are associated with the user).

In some implementations, a content provider may require that arespective media presentation system be associated with a particularuser account (or user accounts) before it will allow that device toreceive content from the content provider. In some implementations, auser must provide login credentials (e.g., a username and password) to amedia presentation system so that the media presentation system can, inturn, authenticate itself and/or the user to the content provider (e.g.,through media content server 104). (Alternatively, the user provideslogin credentials to the media content server 104.) Afterauthenticating, the user can direct media content associated with his orher account to the media presentation system.

Moreover, by ensuring that respective media presentation systems 108 areassociated with at least one particular user account, the media contentprovider can implement rules and policies relevant to the particularuser account, and allow access to account-specific data that isassociated with the particular user account. For example, the mediacontent provider can enforce access limits that apply to that particularaccount as it would with any other media presentation system associatedwith that user and/or user account. Thus, if a user has already consumeda maximum allotment of media content, the user will be unable to sendadditional media content to media presentation systems. Also,account-specific data, such as stored playlists, “favorite” contentitems, currently playing content, and the like, are all availablethrough the media content server 104

As a specific example, a user may setup a network-connected television(e.g., television 108-2 of FIG. 1) as a media presentation system. Themedia content provider can then associate the television with theaccount of a user in the media content server 104, by adding or updatinga record (e.g., record 404-3) in the media account data structure 404.For example, if User 98 is not yet associated with any mediapresentation systems, then the media content server 104 (or a componentof media content server 104, e.g., authentication module 316) addsrecord 404-3 to the media account data structure 404 (in this example,the television 108-2 has an MPS ID of TV_13, so record 404-3 of mediaaccount data structure 404 contains an MPS ID of TV_13 in the MPS IDsfield). By way of general illustration, in some implementations, if User98 shares access to TV_13, but then the access token associated withTV_13 is later invalidated, authentication module 316 updates a recordin authentication data structure 402 to reflect invalidation of theaccess token (e.g., record 402-3 indicates that the access token forTV_13 is not valid).

As an additional example, User 2 may decide to allow other users toaccess media presentation systems associated with User 2. For example,if User 2 shares access to the speaker associated with MPS ID of Spk_0(e.g., creates a hotspot associated with Speaker 108-1 of FIG. 1), thenthe authentication module 316 communicates with media account database330 (e.g., sends a SQL query to media account database 330, or acomponent thereof, and receives a record based on the query in response)to verify that User 2 is associated with Spk_0 (e.g., checking thatrecord 404-2 associated with User 2 has an entry in the MPS IDs fieldfor Spk_0). In accordance with a determination that User 2 is authorizedto use Speaker 108-1, the authentication module 316 accesses the tokengenerating module 318, in order to create an access token correspondingto Speaker 108-1. In accordance with some implementations, theauthentication module 316 adds a new record (e.g., record 402-2) toauthentication data structure 402 including the MPS ID (e.g., Spk_0),the generated access token, and an indication that the token is valid.

Although FIG. 4 illustrates data structures 400 as tables, the datastructures 400 may include a SQL database, a spreadsheet, an XML file, adesktop database, a flat file, a CSV file, and/or other organized datasource. Some implementations support combined or blended sources foreach data structure, with data from two or more distinct sources.

FIGS. 5A-5C are flow diagrams illustrating a method 500 of controllingmedia presentation in accordance with some implementations.

The method 500, in accordance with some implementations, is performed bya server system (e.g., media content server 104, FIGS. 1 and 3). FIGS.5A-5C correspond to instructions stored in a computer memory or othercomputer-readable storage medium (e.g., memory 306 of the media contentserver 104, FIG. 3).

Referring now to FIG. 5A, the server system (e.g., media content server104) authorizes (502) a first electronic device associated with a firstuser (e.g., client device 102-1) to control a media presentation system(e.g., speaker 108-1). This authorization occurs, for example, when thefirst user first sets up the media presentation system or when the firstuser logs into the media content provider associated with the mediacontent server 104. In some implementations, control of the mediapresentation system is through the media content server 104 (e.g.,client device 102-1 controls speaker 108-1 by sending media controlrequests to the media content server 104 and a command corresponding toeach media control request is later sent, by media content server 104 ora component thereof, to speaker 108-1). If client device 102-1 andspeaker 108-1 are on (e.g., connected to) the same network (e.g., WiFinetwork) the client device 102-1, in some implementations, can send amedia control request both to the media content server 104 and directlyto the speaker 108-1, since this allows for faster response times (e.g.,the delay time between sending the media control request and playback ofa requested new song or other content included in the media controlrequest is reduced). In some implementations, however, the client device102-2 is not on the same network (e.g., WiFi) as the speaker 108-1. Forexample, a guest may not have access to the wireless (e.g., WiFi)network of a party host. As such, the client device 102-2, in theseimplementations, only sends media control requests to the media contentserver 104 and does not send media control requests directly to thespeaker 108-1.

The media presentation system, in some implementations, includes (504) aspeaker, a plurality of speakers, a television, a digital versatile disc(DVD) player, a personal computing device, a wireless music streamingdevice, or a television media streaming device. The media presentationsystem, in some implementations, includes more than one type ofcomponent media presentation system (e.g., a plurality of speakers, atelevision, and a DVD player, as shown in media presentation systems 108of FIG. 1). As an additional example, in some implementations, the mediapresentation system may include a USB device enabling wirelessconnectivity for a television (or for any other type of mediapresentation system) or a device (e.g., light emitting diode (LED) lamp)with a built-in network-compatible (e.g., WiFi) speaker.

In some implementations, the server system receives (506), from thefirst electronic device, a request to indicate availability of the mediapresentation system (e.g., a single speaker or a plurality of speakers)for use by one or more other electronic devices. Indicating availabilityof the media presentation system for use by one or more other electronicdevices is referred to as creating a hotspot for control of the mediapresentation system. In some implementations, the request from the firstelectronic device is generated after the first user of the firstelectronic device selects (e.g., with a touch-based gesture such as adrag, an extended tap, or a momentary tap on user interface 204 ofclient device 102, FIG. 2) an affordance (e.g., an icon, slide bar,etc.) displayed on the first electronic device (e.g., displayed by mediapresentation sharing module 230 of media application 222, FIG. 2). Theaffordance in these implementations may contain text indicating thatselecting the affordance will create a hotspot for media control thatwill allow other users to use the media presentation system (e.g., a“share” button for requesting to indicate availability of a single mediapresentation system (such as hotspot activation affordances 602, FIG.6A) and/or a “Share All” button for requesting to indicate availabilityof a plurality of media presentation systems (such as share-allaffordance 604, FIG. 6A)). Consistent with these implementations, thefirst user may be asked to affirmatively agree (e.g., click or tap on adisplayed “I agree” button on user interface 204 of client device 102)to allow other users to use the media presentation system.

As a specific example, with reference to FIG. 6A, the first user clickson a respective hotspot activation affordance 602, in order to create ahotspot for the corresponding media presentation system (in thisexample, speaker 108-1). After the hotspot has been created, mediaapplication 222 of user interface 204 (or a component of mediaapplication 222, such as media presentation system sharing module 230),in some implementations, is updated to indicate that a hotspot has beencreated for speaker 108-1 (e.g., media application 222 removes thehotspot activation affordance 602 corresponding to speaker 108-1 anddisplays an active hotspot indicator 606 (e.g., a highlighted buttonwith the text “Sharing”), as shown in FIG. 6B). In some implementations,media application 222, as displayed on user interface 204, also includesa share-all affordance 604 that allows the first user to create ahotspot for all of the first user's available media presentationsystems. In some implementations, if the first user selects (e.g., tapson) the displayed “Share All” affordance 604 then client device 102-1(or in some implementations media content server 104) creates a hotspotthat includes all of the first user's available media presentationsystems (e.g., the hotspot and the associated token that permits accessto the hotspot, in this example, would correspond to speaker 108-1,television 108-2, DVD 108-3, and media presentation system 108-n).

Turning now to FIG. 7 and continuing with the specific example, afterthe first user creates a hotspot, other users are able to use the mediapresentation systems associated with the first user's created hotspot.For example, after the first user creates a hotspot including speaker108-1, then when another user (e.g., a second user of client device102-2) accesses media application 222 of client device 102-2, thedisplayed interface (e.g., on user interface 204 of client device 102-2)includes a join hotspot affordance 608 corresponding to another user'smedia presentation system(s) (e.g., user 2's speaker 108-1, as picturedin FIG. 7). In some implementations, the join hotspot affordance 608 isnot associated with a single media presentation system, but is insteadassociated with all of the media presentation systems associated with auser (e.g., if the hotspot associated with join hotspot affordance 608was created using a share-all affordance (such as share-all affordance604, FIG. 6A), then instead of displaying “User 2's Speaker 108-1,” thedescriptive text next to the join hotspot affordance 608 displays, forexample, “User 2's Hotspot” or “Share Control of all of User 2's MediaPresentation Systems”). In some implementations, the client device 102-1transmits (e.g., broadcasts) a message indicating availability of thecreated hotspot and the client device 102-2 detects the created hotspot(or the transmitted message) through a wireless networking technology(e.g., Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WiFi, Multicast DNS, or AppleMultipeer connectivity). After the client device 102-2 detects thecreated hotspot, in some implementations, the user interface 204 ofclient device 102-2 is updated (e.g., by user interface module 220) todisplay the join hotspot affordance 608 (e.g., within media application222). Alternatively, the client device 102-1, in some implementations,displays a QR code associated with the created hotspot on the userinterface 204 of client device 102-1 and the client device 102-2 scansthe code in order to receive the authentication token (e.g., asdescribed in more detail with respect to FIGS. 5A-5C) and begin usingthe media presentation system (e.g., speaker 108-1).

The second user of client device 102-2 is able to select (e.g., tap on)the join hotspot affordance 608 in order to send a request to clientdevice 102-1, media content server 104, or some other device responsiblefor managing requests to join hotspots. In some implementations, asdiscussed in more detail with reference to FIGS. 5A-5C, the request issent to client device 102-1 and, after a user of client device 102-1approves the request to join the hotspot, client device 102-1 sends anauthentication token to client device 102-2. After receiving theauthentication token, in some implementations, the client device 102-2is able to use the media presentation system(s) associated with thehotspot (e.g., client device 102-2 is able to send media controlrequests including the authentication token to media content server 104,and then media content server 104 generates a command corresponding tothe media control request which is then sent to speaker 108-1).

In some implementations, the server system receives (508) from the firstelectronic device one or more access-control settings corresponding tothe media presentation system. The one or more access-control settingsspecify access limitations for the one or more other electronic deviceswith respect to the media presentation system. The one or more accesscontrol settings may include restrictions on changing audio outputparameters (e.g., volume, bass, or equalizer settings), turning off themedia presentation system, or restrictions on sending certain types ofmedia content to the media presentation system (e.g., media itemscontaining vulgar content). For example, the one or more access-controlsettings may prohibit the one or more other electronic devices fromshutting off the media presentation system, adjusting volume of themedia presentation system beyond a predefined threshold volume, and/orviolating restrictions on media content (e.g., playing media contentwith vulgar language, etc.). The one or more access-control settings, insome implementations, are selected by the first user of the firstelectronic device. In some implementations, as part of creating thehotspot, the first user of the first electronic device selects the oneor more access-control settings from a menu that is displayed (on userinterface 204 of client device 102) by the media presentation sharingmodule 230 of media application 222 (FIG. 2). In some implementations,the access-control settings are selected before the first user creates ahotspot for media control at the media presentation system (e.g., theaccess-control settings could be selected automatically by mediaapplication 222 based on a usage pattern associated with the firstuser). In some embodiments, the access-control settings are determinedby the server system (e.g., based on a usage pattern associated with thefirst user).

In some implementations, the server system sends (510), to the firstelectronic device, an authentication token for the media presentationsystem (e.g., token generating module 318 of authentication module 316generates a unique authentication token for the media presentationsystem that is then sent to the first electronic device). In someimplementations, sending the authentication token to the firstelectronic device is performed in response to the request to indicateavailability of the media presentation system for use by the one or moreother electronic devices (512). Alternatively, the authentication tokenwas previously sent to the first electronic device (e.g., during theauthorization 502). In other alternative implementations, the firstelectronic device (e.g., client device 102-1) generates theauthentication token (e.g., using authentication module 224) for themedia presentation system and sends the authentication token to themedia content server 104 for storage in authentication data structure402.

Referring now to FIG. 5B, in some implementations, the server systemreceives (514), from a second electronic device (e.g., client device102-2 of FIG. 1), a media control request including the authenticationtoken, wherein the second electronic device is one of the one or moreother electronic devices. In some implementations, the second electronicdevice received the authentication token from the first electronicdevice after requesting access to the media presentation system (i.e.,after requesting access to the hotspot). The authentication token istransmitted from the first electronic device to the second electronicdevice using, for example, a website link, a social-networking link,Quick Response (QR) codes, Bluetooth, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi),Multicast DNS (mDNS), or Apple Multipeer Connectivity.

In some implementations, prior to transmitting the authentication tokenfrom the first electronic device to the second electronic device, thefirst user of the first electronic device approves requests from the oneor more other electronic devices (e.g., the second electronic device) toaccess the media presentation system. For example, the second electronicdevice transmits a request to the first electronic device, which thefirst user accepts or denies. Approving requests, in someimplementations, may include granting each device a different level ofaccess to the media presentation system and/or defining access-controlsettings applicable for each approved device/request.

The media control request may include (516) a request to perform one ofthe following functions at the media presentation system: modify audiooutput parameters, play a song, play a video, play all songs within aplaylist, play a movie, or modify video output parameters. In someimplementations, audio output parameters include volume, bass, treble,equalizer settings (for various frequency ranges), settings fortransitioning between songs, and others. In some implementations, videooutput parameters include refresh rate, aspect ratio, resolution,brightness, contrast, and others.

In some implementations, the server system verifies (518) that one ormore access criteria are satisfied. More specifically, in someimplementations, the server system verifies one or more of thefollowing: 1) verifies (520) that the media control request complieswith the received one or more access-control settings; 2) verifies (522)that the second electronic device is within a predefined distance of thefirst electronic device (or within a predefined region that includes thefirst electronic device); and 3) verifies (524) that the secondelectronic device is within a predefined (e.g., a threshold) distance ofthe media presentation system (or within a predefined region thatincludes the media presentation system). In some implementations, thecommand corresponding to the media control request is sent (526, below)in response to satisfying one or more of the above verifications.

In some implementations, the predefined distance used in the aboveverifications is defined by the first user of the first electronicdevice. In some implementations, a default value for the predefineddistance is retrieved by the server system. In some implementations, theserver system retrieves the default value for the predefined distanceand modifies the default value in accordance with a usage patternassociated with the first user (e.g., based on distances between thefirst electronic device and other electronic devices that previouslyconnected to the media presentation system or based on distances betweenthe media presentation system and other electronic devices thatpreviously connected to the media presentation system).

Any device or combination of devices can be used to determine whetherthe first electronic device (e.g., client device 102-1) and the secondelectronic device (e.g., client device 102-2) are within the predefineddistance of one another. For example, in some implementations, the firstelectronic device and the second electronic device each send theirrespective location information to the media content server 104, and themedia content server 104 determines whether the first electronic deviceand the second electronic are within the predefined distance (e.g.,within 5, 10, 25, or 50 feet, or any other appropriate distance) of oneanother.

In other implementations, the first electronic device and the secondelectronic device communicate with one another to determine whether theyare within the predefined distance of one another. Once it isdetermined, by either device, that they are within the predefineddistance of one another, the second electronic device is then able tosend media control requests to the media presentation system (thesemedia control requests, in some implementations, are sent to the mediacontent server 104 and the media content server 104 then sends a commandcorresponding to the media control request to the media presentationsystem).

In some implementations, the communication between the first electronicdevice and the second electronic includes one or both devices exchanginglocation information (e.g., based on GPS coordinates, triangulation inaccordance with wireless signal strengths, or the like). Accordingly,the devices determine their relative proximity (and, thus, whether theyare within the predefined distance) based on their detected geographiclocations.

Referring now to FIG. 5C, in some implementations, the server system, inaccordance with a determination (e.g., by the server system) that theauthentication token permits access to the media presentation system,sends (526) a command corresponding to the media control request to themedia presentation system. In some implementations, the media requestprocessing module 322 of media content server 104 receives the mediacontrol request and then determines, selects, or generates a commandcorresponding to the media control request.

The determination that the authentication token permits access to themedia presentation system, in some implementations, includes verifying(528) that the token is valid and verifying that the first electronicdevice is authorized to control the media presentation system. In someimplementations, the server system adds (530) the command to a queue ofpending commands for the media presentation system.

In some implementations, the queue of pending commands is maintained andmanaged by the media content server 104. In alternative implementations,the queue is maintained and managed by the first electronic device, andin still other implementations, the queue is maintained and managed bythe media presentation system. In some implementations, the mediacontent server 104 determines which device is capable of managing andmaintaining the queue (e.g., based on bandwidth constraints, CPUresources available, etc). In yet other implementations, the queue ofpending commands is jointly maintained and managed by the media contentserver 104, the first electronic device, and the media presentationsystem (e.g., portions of the queue are managed and maintained by eachdevice).

In some implementations, the server system sends (532) at least aportion of a media item to the media presentation system. The media itemis identified in accordance with activity of the second user on thesecond device but is not requested in the media control request. In someimplementations, the portion of the media item is sent after the seconduser of the second electronic device hovers over (e.g., with atouch-based gesture, a stylus, or with a cursor) the media item for morethan a predefined amount of time (e.g., 5 seconds, 10 seconds, etc.).For example, the media content server 104 (or, alternatively the secondelectronic device) determines or is informed that the second user of thesecond electronic device is likely to select a particular media item forplayback (e.g., based on a determination that the second user has beenbrowsing the particular media item for more than a threshold amount oftime), and, in response, sends at least a portion (e.g., a pre-fetched,cached portion, or preview portion) of the particular media item to themedia presentation system. In some implementations in which the mediapresentation includes a plurality of media presentation systems (e.g.,because a user created a hotspot using share-all affordance 604, FIG.6A), then the portion of the particular media item is sent to eachrespective media presentation system within the plurality of mediapresentation systems. Accordingly, in some implementations, userbehavior and/or interactions with client device 102 (e.g., the secondelectronic device) cause the media content server 104 to pre-fetch mediacontent that may be played back at a later time and/or in response toanother media control request (which may be generated without user inputor in response to a user input). The prefetched content is sent to themedia presentation system, where it is cached.

In some implementations, the server system invalidates (534) theauthentication token after a predefined period of time (e.g., 1 hour, 5hours, 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, etc.). The predefined period of time, insome implementations, is calculated (by media content server 104 or byclient device 102) based on usage history or stored preferences of aparticular user (e.g., the first user of the first electronic device).For example, if a usage history (e.g., an additional field in mediaaccount data structure 404) associated with the first user of the firstelectronic device indicates that the authentication token should expirewithin two hours (e.g., the usage history could be used to calculate anaverage length of time for the first user's social gatherings or anaverage or maximum amount of time that the first user has left a mediacontrol hotspot open for), then the predefined period of time is set astwo hours. In other implementations, the predefined period of time isconfigured by the first user of the first electronic device (e.g., usingan interface presented by the media presentation system sharing module230 of media application 222). Additionally, in some implementations,the first user of the first electronic device destroys a hotspotassociated with the authentication token (e.g., by interacting with themedia presentation sharing module 230 of media application 222) and thusrevokes sharing of a media presentation system (e.g., at the end of aparty). For example, with reference to FIG. 6B, a tap by the first useron the “Sharing” button associated with the hotspot for speaker 108-1destroys the hotspot and initiates the process for invalidating theauthentication token associated with speaker 108-1 (e.g., the clientdevice 102-1 sends a message to the media content server 104 indicatingthat the hotspot has been destroyed and, in response to receiving themessage, the media content server 104 updates the “Is Valid?” field ofan appropriate record in authentication data structure 402 to reflectinvalidation of the authentication token).

In some implementations, the server system revokes authorization of thefirst electronic device to control the media presentation system and, inresponse to revoking authorization, invalidates the authenticationtoken. For example, the account of the first user may expire or thefirst user may transfer ownership of the media presentation system. Theserver system will revoke authorization because the first user of thefirst electronic device is no longer associated with the mediapresentation system. In this example, after revoking authorization ofthe first electronic device to control the media presentation system,the server system also invalidates the authentication token (if theauthentication token for the media presentation is still valid), inorder to make sure that any other devices possessing the authenticationtoken cannot continue to send media control requests to the transferredmedia presentation system.

After invalidating the authentication token (536), the server systemperforms one or more of the following: 1) receives a media controlrequest including the invalidated authentication token and forgoessending a command corresponding to the media control request to themedia presentation system; and 2) the server system notifies (540) thefirst electronic device and the second electronic device that the accessto the media presentation system is revoked.

Although some of various drawings illustrate a number of logical stagesin a particular order, stages which are not order dependent may bereordered and other stages may be combined or broken out. Furthermore,in some implementations, some stages may be performed in parallel and/orsimultaneously with other stages (e.g., operations 520, 522, and 524 inFIG. 5B may all be performed together or substantially in parallel).While some reordering or other groupings are specifically mentioned,others will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, so theordering and groupings presented herein are not an exhaustive list ofalternatives. Moreover, it should be recognized that the stages could beimplemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof.

The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has beendescribed with reference to specific implementations. However, theillustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the implementations to the precise forms disclosed. Manymodifications and variations are possible in view of the aboveteachings. The implementations were chosen and described in order tobest explain the principles and their practical applications, to therebyenable others skilled in the art to best utilize the implementations andvarious implementations with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated.

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing one ormore programs configured for execution by one or more processors of afirst electronic device distinct from a media presentation system and aserver system, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:receiving, from the server system, authorization for the firstelectronic device to control the media presentation system; detectinguser input at the first electronic device requesting to indicateavailability of the media presentation system for use by one or moreother electronic devices that are distinct from the first electronicdevice; in response to detecting the user input, transmitting from thefirst electronic device an indication of availability of the mediapresentation system for use by the one or more other electronic devices;and in response to receiving a request for access to the mediapresentation system from a second electronic device of the one or moreother electronic devices, transmitting, from the first electronic deviceto the second electronic device, an authentication token that allows thesecond electronic device to access the media presentation system throughsubmission to the server system of media control requests that includethe authentication token while the first electronic device is alsoauthorized to control the media presentation system.
 2. (canceled) 3.The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, whereinthe one or more programs further comprise instructions for receiving theauthentication token from a server system.
 4. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 3, wherein the instructionsfor receiving the authentication token from the server system compriseinstructions for receiving the authentication token in response to theuser input.
 5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium ofclaim 1, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructionsfor generating the authentication token.
 6. (canceled)
 7. Thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein theinstructions for detecting the user input comprise instructions fordetecting a gesture in a media-application user interface that isdisplayed on a touch-sensitive display of the first electronic device.8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7,wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for: inresponse to detecting the user input, updating the media-applicationuser interface to indicate that the media presentation system isavailable for use by the one or more other electronic devices.
 9. Thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein theinstructions for detecting the user input comprise instructions forreceiving one or more access-control settings corresponding to the mediapresentation system, wherein the one or more access-control settingsspecify access limitations for the one or more other electronic deviceswith respect to the media presentation system.
 10. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the one or moreprograms further comprise instructions for: determining whether thesecond electronic device is within a predefined distance of the firstelectronic device; and in accordance with a determination that thesecond electronic device is within the predefined distance of the firstelectronic device, permitting the second electronic device to access themedia presentation system through the submission of media controlrequests that include the authentication token.
 11. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the one or moreprograms further comprise instructions for: after transmitting theauthentication token to the second electronic device, detectingadditional user input requesting to cease indicating availability of themedia presentation system for use by the one or more other electronicdevices; and in response to detecting the additional user input,initiating invalidation of the authentication token.
 12. Thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein theinstructions for initiating invalidation of the authentication tokencomprise instructions for sending a message to a server systemindicating that the media presentation system is no longer available foruse by the one or more other electronic devices.
 13. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the one or moreprograms further comprise instructions for specifying a period of timeafter which the authentication token is to expire.
 14. Thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein theone or more programs further comprise instructions for initiatinginvalidation of the authentication token.
 15. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the one or moreprograms further comprise instructions for: after initiatinginvalidation of the authentication token, notifying the secondelectronic device that access to the media presentation system isrevoked.
 16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium ofclaim 1, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructionsfor: receiving, from the second electronic device, a media controlrequest that includes the authentication token; verifying that theauthentication token is valid; and in response to the verifying, sendingthe media control request to a server system.
 17. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein a respective mediacontrol request comprises a request to perform one of the followingfunctions at the media presentation system: modify audio outputparameters, play a song, play a video, play all songs within a playlist,play a movie, or modify video output parameters.
 18. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructionsfor transmitting the indication of availability comprise instructionsfor broadcasting the indication of availability.
 19. A method ofcontrolling media presentation, performed at a first electronic device,distinct from a media presentation system and a server system, with aprocessor and memory storing instructions for execution by theprocessor, the method comprising: receiving, from the server system,authorization to control the media presentation system; detecting userinput at the first electronic device requesting to indicate availabilityof the media presentation system for use by one or more other electronicdevices that are distinct from the first electronic device; in responseto detecting the user input, transmitting from the first electronicdevice an indication of availability of the media presentation systemfor use by the one or more other electronic devices; receiving, from asecond electronic device of the one or more other electronic devices, arequest for access to the media presentation system; and in response toreceiving the request, transmitting, from the first electronic device tothe second electronic device, an authentication token that allows thesecond electronic device to access the media presentation system throughsubmission to the server system of media control requests that includethe authentication token while the first electronic device is alsoauthorized to control the media presentation system.
 20. A firstelectronic device that is distinct from a media presentation system anda server system, comprising: one or more processors; and memory storingone or more programs which, when executed by the one or more processors,cause the first electronic device to: receive, from the server system,authorization to control the media presentation system; detect userinput at the first electronic device requesting to indicate availabilityof the media presentation system for use by one or more other electronicdevices that are distinct from the first electronic device; in responseto detecting the user input, transmit from the first electronic devicean indication of availability of the media presentation system for useby the one or more other electronic devices; and in response toreceiving a request for access to the media presentation system from asecond electronic device of the one or more other electronic devices,transmit, from the first electronic device to the second electronicdevice, an authentication token that allows the second electronic deviceto access the media presentation system through submission to the serversystem of media control requests that include the authentication tokenwhile the first electronic device is also authorized to control themedia presentation system.